INSECTA MADERENSIA. 405 



A large and well-marked member of the group, ranking next, in bulk, to the 

 S. gressoria. It may be immediately recognised by its convex and comparatively 

 ovate (or posteriorly inflated) body, by its greatly rounded and very lightly sculp- 

 tured prothorax, by the submetallic lustre and fragile nature of its scales (which 

 have frequently a tendency, in highly coloured examples, to tessellate the alternate 

 interstices of its elytra), by the small callosity with which it is armed towards its 

 hinder quarters on either side, and by its long and ferruginous antennae and legs, 

 — the former of which are slender, whilst the latter have their anterior pair more 

 perceptibly lengthened than the remainder. It is a truly indigenous Sitona, and 

 confined, so far as I have hitherto observed, to the common Broom {Genista 

 scoparia, Linn.) of intermediate and lofty altitudes, — making its appearance about 

 the beginning of summer and lasting until the eai'ly winter months. I have taken 

 it abundantly at the Curral das Romeiras (above Funchal) during October and 

 November ; and on the ascent of the Paul da Serra from Sao Vincente, in July. 

 It is announced by Schonherr, on the aiithority of Faldermann, to be a native of 

 Portugal ; and whilst there is no reason why it should not occur in that coimtry, 

 yet, since I have grounds for suspicion that mistakes have arisen as to the correct 

 geographical reference of several of the insects which were disseminated by Falder- 

 mann (who seems either to have touched at these islands, on his travels, or else to 

 have received specimens from them, — and hj whom many species which have 

 altogether escaped our combined researches durmg a coiu'se of many years, but 

 which are universal in Portugal, were reported as Madeiran; whilst others, 

 apparently peculiar to Madeii-a, were registered as Portuguese), and since I have 

 never detected any traces of it amongst the numerous collections which I have 

 examined from the south-western districts of Europe, I accept that statement with 

 considerable hesitation, — and more especially so, since it is not only certain that 

 such-like misapplications are of frequent experience in Museums of a large and 

 general scale ; but also because it is far from improlmble, that, since Madeira, is 

 regarded as a province of Portugal, any very great acciu*acy, or precautions against 

 error, might have been deemed superfluous in preserving records of localities 

 within what are artificially but parts (even though widely distinct by nature) of 

 one and the same kingdom. 



310. Sitona cambrica. 



S. parallelo-elongata vix squamiilosa sed pilis subcinereo-nigrescentibus bvevibus tecta, prothorace 

 profunde punctato, ad latera in medio rotundato-ampliato, scutello albo-squamoso, elytris sat 

 profunde pmictato-striatis, interstitiis subconvexis, antenais picescentibus. 



Long. Corp. lin. 2|-2^. 



Sitona cambrica, (Kirby) Steph. III. Brit. Ent. iv. 140 (1831). 



crihricollis, Schon. Gen. et Spec. Cure. ii. 101 (1831). 



ruguJosus, DiUw'iTi, in litt. 



seticollis, Woll. (olim) in litt. 



